


Familiarity

by riyuji



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Drabble, F/M, Fluff, Inspired by Fanart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-26
Updated: 2016-06-26
Packaged: 2018-07-18 08:56:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7308421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/riyuji/pseuds/riyuji
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The similarities couldn't have just been her imagination, had it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Familiarity

Angela had heard quite a few stories about Jack Morrison even before she was recruited into Overwatch. Who hadn't heard about him? He was the well-known leader of the organization that had put an end to the Omnic Crisis. He was the poster boy of Overwatch, the very symbol of hopes and promises to come. 

He was a hero.

When they met, she could immediately tell that there was an air of authority about him in the way he carried himself. But that didn't seem to matter to him. He'd made it a point to introduce himself to her on her first day, even if they belonged to different departments. Perhaps someday they would be able to work together, he'd said as he held out his hand to her. Angela took his in hers and shook it, trying her damnedest to match his firm grip. Despite it, she smiled at him. He smiled back.

Eventually, they were able to work alongside each other. Jack stayed in the frontlines, while Angela aided whoever was most in need on the battlefield. She'd come to trust him, and he her, both knowing they were doing their best to watch over their comrades. Their methods may have differed in more ways than one but knowing how many lives they had saved at the end of the day was fulfillment enough.

In time, there came a point when the crises all over the world was too much to handle, even for Overwatch whose resources extended far and wide across the globe. Protests broke out and the blame was thrown at the very same man who'd been the face of the world's bright future. 

Jack grew wearier and wearier as the days stretched to weeks, weeks to months. Angela would check-in on him whenever her schedule permitted. He would tell her to pull up a chair and they would talk when he could spare a moment. Though most times, he would just cast her a smile—one sad enough to age him more than it should've—and tell her not to worry. She worried anyway.

Angela reminded him that he wasn't alone in this, and Jack smiled at her, a little more sincerely this time around. "Thanks, Doc," he had said.

Then, Jack Morrison died and the world lost a hero.

\- - -

Angela wasn't sure what to expect when she had answered Winston's Overwatch Recall, what with the repurcussions that may come for doing so. While she was glad to see her old friends after so long, the surprise of new faces had caught her off-guard. She knew the following days would entail familiarizing herself with the newcomers, but there was one man among them who had caught her eye.

Soldier: 76.

Little was known about him, but she had at least heard of him on news feeds in passing. She couldn't help but wonder what purpose he would serve as part of the team, but she couldn't disagree with Winston's decision without reason.

But what piqued her interest wasn't why he was here or why he was chosen. It was because there was a vague familiarity to him that she couldn't immediately place. It wasn't just in the way he walked or talked either. There was an aura to him that reminded her so much of a man she hadn't seen in years. A man who was supposedly dead. 

In the coming days, she learned that despite the mask and his harsh exterior, he kept a constant eye over the team, looking out for them on and off the field. The man had their back, whether that meant watching their flank or setting up a biotic field for the team to heal up while she wasn't around. She noticed that he had a tendency of barking orders during the heat of battle, but no one could argue that his ideas weren't sound. Though a few still continued with their own plan of attack, many followed through with his plans.

The similarities couldn't have just been her imagination, had it?

It was hard to find a moment alone with him as he always excused himself after a mission, but she was determined to confront him once she found a chance.

\- - -

That chance presented itself one quiet night in Gibraltar. Angela had been walking towards her quarters when she had caught Soldier: 76's silhouette at the corner of her eye. He had been looking out a window facing the sea, his gaze downcast.

She thought about approaching him quietly, offering a penny for his thoughts, but felt it may be harder to address the elephant in the room if she continued in that manner. With a tentative step, she walked into the room, calling his attention as to not surprise him of her presence. "Seventy-Six?" 

There was no reply.

Angela continued walking towards him, her arm extending and reaching for his back when she was close enough. But she paused for a moment, withdrawing her hand, holding it close to her chest. Would she be crossing a line by doing this? Would this be an invasion of his privacy? This man didn't seem to want anyone to know exactly who he is. 

But _she_ knew despite his efforts.

Steeling herself, she drew in a deep breath and let it out in the form of a sigh in an attempt to calm her thrumming nerves. Then she approached him once more, closing the distance between them. Pressing her forehead against his back, she wrapped her arms around him, the palms of her hands coming to rest against his chest. His body tensed almost immediately beneath her touch but she made no move to pull away.

"Mercy?" His voice was gruff, as always, but the question was punctuated by confusion. It didn't surprise her that he had called her by her call sign, perhaps to keep up the charade.

Angela leaned herself closer to him and she lifted a hand, her finger pointing to the window before them. 

Soldier: 76 looked at their reflection staring back at him. Only then did he notice that Mercy had her wings out, hard-light and all, giving their non-existent onlookers the illusion of himself as an angel. He blinked behind his mask, still confused by the gesture.

Something was said against his back, and he couldn't make it out at first. "Speak up."

Angela repeated herself, this time loud enough for him to hear. "You're still our hero, Jack." If he had felt tense before, his body went rigid against her now.

It was a moment later before she felt him suck in a deep breath. "I've got no idea what you're talking about, Doc."

"Don't you?"

She did not receive a reply, which only seemed to confirm her suspicions. The tension was palpable between them. While Angela had so many questions she wanted to ask, she wasn't sure where to even begin.

In the end, Soldier: 76 was the first to break the silence. "How long?"

"Have I known?" Angela pressed her lips together in thought. "It has been a while now. A week, maybe a little more, but I've only just confirmed it now."

He sighed a deep sigh, and she couldn't help but feel like a weight was lifted from his shoulders. "Guess there's no fooling you, huh?"

"You don't give me enough credit, Jack." She chuckled against his back, and retracted her wings, allowing them to rest. There was no doubt in her mind that she would've been disappointed in herself if she let this charade continue. And if he denied it then, she would have continued to make an effort to confront him about it. But she did not feel the need to voice her thoughts aloud.

With a lingering breath, she released him, taking a step back and allowing him some space to move. She noticed his shoulders finally relaxed as he turned to face her. His brows furrowed together, and Angela could tell that he was deep in thought. It was something about him that hadn't changed at all.

"Didn't think you had it in you to do something that direct."

Another laugh escaped her lips. "I can be direct when I need to be. You know that."

"Guess I do. It's... it's been a while."

"Even if it has, I can assure you that your secret is safe with me. Just remember that you don't have to carry the burden on your own. You may still be our hero, Jack, but you're also still human." She tried not to sound like she was lecturing him, but that was easier said than done when the tone she took on as a doctor took over towards the end.

It looked like he was going to object for a moment, and maybe he was, but he thought better of it, instead simply giving her an amused grunt in response. Angela took it as his acknowledgement. 

Crossing his arms over his chest, he nodded at her. "Thanks for the pep talk, Angela."

"You're more than welcome," she said with a small nod, a smile playing at the side of her lips. "Quite frankly, I never would've thought I'd be put in a position where I would be giving you one."

"It's not so bad being on the receiving end if it's coming from you."

Angela swore she could almost see the mischievous glint in his eye. With the mask on his face, it was hard for her to be truly certain. "Now you're just teasing me."

Soldier: 76 let out a laugh of his own, and this time, Angela knew that he was smiling back at her. It was nice to be able to talk to him like this. 'Just like old times,' he might've said.

"If you do decide to tell the others... Or if you decide not to, don't forget that you're not alone. You never have been."

**Author's Note:**

> Fanfic inspired by this piece of work by morimri_sec on twitter: https://twitter.com/morimri_sec/status/741611411751604224


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